Opener for sheet-metal packs



Feb. 24. 1925.

L. C. STEELE OPENER FOR SHEET IETAL PACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1922 m FIG Feb. 24. 1925. 1,527,756

L. c. STEELE OPENER Eon sum-1'1 nannncxs Fi1ed Oct. 11, 1922 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 P un -n- Patented m. 24, 1925.

- uNiTED STATE-s PATEN T' OFFICE. I I Lnwnnncnc. srnnnn. orrnfrsnunan, .rniutsrnvnm i l i ormmn n03 mar-un ue.

hpplication m October 11,1822, serial in. 598,798.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that .I, LAWRENCE C. STEELE,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in O eners for Sheet-Metal Packs; and I do here y declare the following to be a full, clear,-and' exact description thereof. v

My invention relates to mechanism for openin sheet-metal packs.

In t e manufacture. of sheet-metal, the

first step in' the operation'is the reducing ofthe sheet-bar to asheet by passing it back and forth throughsuitable rolls, and when the bar has been reduced to a sheet o'f'proper thickness the sheet is then doubled and reheated, whereupon it is again passed through the rolls in its doubled form, and

after being reduced further is redoubled,

and this course is followed until the sheet is reduced to the proper gauge, the pack, as. it is termed, sometimes containing. eight or more sheets. Due to the heat and the gressure given the pack in the rolls, thein ividual sheets adhere to each other, and the pack has to be opened and the sheets separated, which, because done by hand in most plants, has been a very laborious and expensive operation. In the hand method, in order to open up the'pack at one corner so that the sheets become slightly separated, it is necessary to bend the pack at one corner quite abruptly, whereupon the operator, with a leather gloove or protector provided with a prong, separates the sheets by inserting the prong between the sheets and prying them apart. This abrupt bend which was given to the corner of the sheet disfigured the sheets at the corner and made defective sheets, so that it was sometimes necessary to cut off the ends of the sheet, which was wasted.

The object of my invention is to provide a machinefor opening the packs, which is more satisfactory than those heretofore employed and by which the metal is not bent or distorted in a manner as to injure the sheets, and to do away with the hand labor heretofore employed which made it a very tedious and expensive operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved mechanism; Fig. 2 is a front view on a reduced scale; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view,

mounted on the shaft'7 journaled in suitopener which conslsts of a metal bar 19 partly in section; and -Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical elevation of the reciprocatin members partly in section and partly giroken away.

In the drawing the numeral 2 design asuitable frameon which is mounted motor 3, the motor-shaft 4 5 which meshes with the worm-wheel 6 ates the able. bearings 8. 'A' bevel-gear 9 on the shaft 7 meshes with thebevel-gear- 10 on the shaft 11.

Mounted on the shaft 7 'is the crank-arm 12. A pitman or reciprocating member 13 is connected to the crank 12, and in order to vary the throw of said pitman as may be desired the crank. is provided. with a ber of openings 14. The reci rocating member 13 has the extension 15 w ich proects up through the opening 16 in the plat-' form 17 carried by the frame 2.

The extension 15 has the recess or seat 18 formed therein adapted to receive the sheetwith corru ated or roughened faces 20. This bar is held in the recess 18 by the cli 21 at the upper end, and at the lower on by the clip on opposite sides so that when one slde becomes worn out the bar may be reversed to present a new roughened or corru ated face.

In the rear of the extension 15 is the friction-roller 23 which is adapted to bear .against the rear face of said extension 15 when the device is in operation, and said roller is mounted in the yoke 24 which is connected to the rod 25. The rod 25 passes through the bearings 26 and 27, and a spring 28 is interposed between the bearin 27 and a collar 29 on said rod 25, sai 05 spring acting normall to advance the roller 23 into contact with t e rear face of the extension 15. In this manner. provision is made for the yielding of the extension 15 and the roughened bar 19 carried thereby.

There are two of these reciprocating members, and as they are both constructed alike thle description of one will apply to the ot er.

A diagonally arranged guide-bar 30 is lots secured to the table 1 said ide-bar in conjunction with the said tab e acting to hold the pack properly in position and prevent its being moved upwardly off the table when the openihg operation is taking. place,

having the worm I 22. The bar 19 is roughened i cured to the lower face of the ta le 17 and acting to limit the movement of the up or ends of the reciprocating members w en no pack is in osition to be opened, and said stop has the eveled faces 32, so that when no "pack is in position to be opened and the movable members lean toward said stop, the

' What I claim is:

1. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face, and means for reciprocating said member while in contact with the edge of said pack.

2. In mechanism or opening packs of sheet-metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a rou hened face and means for changing the ang e of movement of said member, whereby the upper portion of the edge .of the ack is engaged on one stroke of said member and the lower porroughened bars 19 will bear only at one edge tion on the other stroke.

agamst the stop and consequently will relieve the wear on the face of the bar when no packis in position to be opened, and

when one pack is being withdrawn for the insertion of another pack.

The cranks 12 are so set members is moving upwardly the other one reciprocating members is moving upwardly,

as indicated in full lines in said figure, it will move up at such an an Is as to ave the roughened bar 19 engage t e upper half of the edge of the pack, which will act to separate or loosen the sheets, and on the downward movement, as indicated by the dotted lines in said figure, the an 1e of the reciprocating member is change so that the roughened bar 19 will engage the lower half of the edge of the pack and separate the sheets in the lower half of the pack. The pressurewith which the roughened bar 19 bears against the edge of the pack is controlled by the strength of the spring 28, and this is so regulated that any undue pressure will be at once relieved, and all unnecessary strain avoided.

As the reciprocating members are working at right angles to each other, said members are moving in opposite directions, and it will be apparent that when one member is -working on the upper half of the pack the other member will be working on the lower half of the pack at right an les thereto. The movement of the roughene bar 19 over the edges of the pack in'this manner will' act to separate the sheets, and the sheets will be so distinctly separated that they may with reference to each other that when one of the reciprocable 3. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a pair of reciprocating members having roughened faces arranged at right angles to each other, and means for moving said members in opposite directions while engaging the edges of said pack.

4. In mechanism for openin packs of sheet-metal, the combination 0 a pair of reciprocating members having rou hened faces arranged at right angles to eac other and movin in opposite directions, and means for c angin the an le of movement of said members, w ereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of one of said members, and the lower portion on the stroke of the other of said members.

5. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet-metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face and yieldingly, mounted, and means for rec1pro eating said member across the edge of a pack, while in contact therewith.

'6. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet-metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face and yieldingly mounted, and means for changing the'angle of movement of said member, whereby theupper portion of the crank on said shaft, a reciprocating member having a roughened face connected to said crank, a stop engaging the rear face of said member, whereby when'the pack is advanced into the 'path of said member, said member will be brought in engagement with said stop, and whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of said member and the lower portion on the other stroke.

9. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a shaft, a crank on said shaft, a reciprocating member having a roughened face connected to said crank, a yielding stop engaging the rear face of said member, whereby when the pack is advanced into the path of said member said member will be brought into engagement with said stop.

10. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet-metal, the combination of a shaft, a crank on said shaft, a reciprocating member having a roughened face connected to said crank, a yielding stop engaging the rear face of said member, whereby when the pack is advanced into the path of said memher, said member will be brought in engagement with said stop, and whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of said member and the lower portion on the other stroke.

11. In mechanism for opening'packs of sheet-metal, the combination of a shaft, a crank on said shaft, a reciprocating member having a roughened face connected to said crank, a .roller engaging the rear face of said reciprocable member, whereby when the pack is advanced into the path of said member, said member will be brought in engagement with said roller, and whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of said member and the lower portion on the other stroke.

12. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a. reciprocating member having a roughened face, means for reciprocating said member, and a stop in the path of the forward movement of said member.

13. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face,

means for changing the angle of movement of said member, whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of said member, and the lower portion on the other stroke, and a sto in the pgth of the forward movement of sald memr' i sheet metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face,

means for reciprocating said member, and a stop having a beveled face in the path of the forward movement of said member.

15. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a reciprocating member having a roughened face, means for changing the angle of movement of said member, whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of said member and the lower portion on the other stroke, and a stop having a beveled face in the path of the forward movement of said member.

16. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a pair of reciprocating members having roughened faces arranged at right angles to each other and moving in opposite directions, means for changing the angle of movement of said members, whereby the upper portion of the edge of the pack is engaged on one stroke of one of said members, and the lower portion on the stroke of the other of said members, and a stop in the path of forward movement of said members to prevent interference.

17. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a suitable platform, a guide spaced above said platform to permit of the passage of a pack between said table and said guide, a reciprocating member having a roughened face adapted to engage the edge of the pack, and means for reciprocating said member.

18. In mechanism for opening packs of sheet metal, the combination of a suitable platform, a guide s aced above said platform to permit of t e passage of the pack between said table and said guide, a reciprocating member having a roughened face, and means for changing the angle of movement of said reciprocating member, whereby the upper portion of the edge of the ack is engaged on one stroke of said mem er, and the lower portion on the other stroke.

In testimony whereof I, the said LAW- RnNon-G. STEELE, have hereunto set In hand.

LAWRENCE O. STE LE. 

